Little Lion Boy
by Yuki Artsa
Summary: Paulie has taken on ownership of a leopard brought in by one of the Government's lackey's, and the blonde promises that he won't let the creature be hurt by them any longer. [Lucci x Paulie]


**_I've become obsessed with these two just from reading doujinshis I couldn't understand XD The cover picture is from "Un Moment, Per Favore!" which, frustratingly, is in Japanese. But I still love the idea of these two and really wanted to write something about them._**

 ** _I literally came up with the title because I was just thinking about the chorus, so it doesn't really have to do with anything XD_**

 ** _I finished this quite a while ago, but I haven't been able to post since for some magical, annoying as fucking mayonnaise reason, I can only upload my covers at school (and I'm very obsessive when it comes to something not fully completed), so the publishing date was later than I hoped, and I apologise for my internet being a retard._**

 ** _Anyway, I hope you have all had a merry Christmas, a happy new year, and safe, fun holidays~ Enjoy :3_**

* * *

He never could answer people when they asked why he chose the career he did. Taking care of lions, leopards and tigers wasn't everyone's first choice, especially with all the risks put into consideration. Paulie couldn't really explain it either, except that he loved their stoic grace. The proud mane of a lion, the beautiful stripes of a tiger, he loved it all.

But most of all, he loved leopards. From their claws to their teeth, from their speed to their lax behaviour, it always enchanted him watching them move with such power that man could only dream of possessing.

He didn't have the grades to become a vet, or even a proper animal keeper, but he knew his way with a rope, and was employed as a wrangler. The term didn't really fit, Paulie always thought, especially as he didn't fight the animals, but coaxed them peacefully; no drugging, no brute force, just reassurance. He had been praised quite often, saying it was as if he could talk to the animals, especially as he left with no serious injuries.

And that was why he had been called especially by Water Seven's mayor, an old friend of his. The man, Iceberg, had lived alongside him and made the city what it was. The feature of the metropolis, other than the situated buildings, was the skills that men had in shipbuilding, which could put other famous ships to shame. Water Seven was also the home of the Sea Train, named Puffing Tom, which carried hundreds of men and women, and cargo, across the sea.

The problem at hand, was that it was easy getting the leopard into the carriage of the train, but the keepers were unable to get it _out_.

Even when Paulie arrived, there was a crowd surrounding the train, especially as keepers were carried away with gaping wounds and excessive bleeding to the point that he though they were already dead even with a pulse. Nobody had really minded as he shuffled past them, dressed in a blue jumpsuit with a snub cigar sitting in his mouth. His mop of dirty blonde hair on almost ginger skin didn't particularly suit him, especially as he looked as if he had woken up outside.

The leopard pacing back and forth was a beautiful creature, Paulie thought. Its body was long and slender, ears twitching at the slightest movement. From head to tail, it had to be as tall as him, which was quite a good sign from young male leopards; that meant they weren't domesticated and living off a served feast and endless supply of water. The cat's black spots weren't overdone across his golden fur, which meant it had been bred well; the mark above one of its front legs, a box with a cross inside it, however, didn't mean it had been treated well. If anything, that was the mark used when people illegally gave home to leopards and tigers especially. The leopard before him was clearly one of the lucky ones, to have arrived with no visible wounds.

Its bold, jade eyes caught sight of Paulie, and the creature bared its fangs. The man had shut the carriage door behind him to avoid any unnecessary disturbances, and now it was only Paulie's words and movements to be seen or heard. He had held up his coil of rope, and before the leopard could pounce, he threw it to the corner furthermost from him, before raising both his hands in a sign of peace.

Clearly, this leopard wasn't stupid, as it didn't break from its ferocious stance. It's wasn't rare, nor common either, for Paulie to be given such behaviour (not like many people would trust a guy who looked like a hobo) from creatures. He removed his classic orange goggles, blue jacket (hopefully he'd get it back, it had all his cigars) and finally his shirt, sitting before the leopard in a calm position, his legs crossed.

Albeit cautiously, the leopard had strolled over to him, as if to verify that he really _wasn't_ hiding anything. Paulie didn't mind; he was always relaxed when they came to look him over, and it was as close as he'd get to petting them. He let the creature inspect his whole body, scouting him from the remnants of his bristled hair half shaved on his chin, to the well-sculpted body he had developed over several years of hard work, to the baggy blue pants which also covered his feet tucked under a pair of black gumboots.

It seemed like this leopard was more than a little suspicious of the blonde, and, somewhat begrudgingly, Paulie tossed his pants and boots aside, practically exposed if not for his boxer shorts. "I'd prefer if I was taken to dinner first," he joked, as the leopard looked over his bare legs, "but I can make exceptions to species other than human." Paulie had suddenly realised the leopard had been staring at his underwear with a rather hungry look, its expression dissatisfied. This was certainly a first for him.

"You'll just have to trust me, okay...?" He asked, hoping that was enough to reassure the leopard. "I'm not going to hurt you like they have. I _promise_." The cat had stared at him for a few moments, before nuzzling up to his chest, as if accepting that as a compromise. Paulie realised he had a terrible blush the whole time the leopard was staring "there", and awkwardly stroked its fur.

Five minutes after he entered, and both Paulie (dressed) and the leopard had come out unscathed, receiving much admiration from the audience, saying the blonde was incredibly brave and dominant. The man who had been kept in charge of the leopard, a short and stout man by the name of Corgy, had looked boredly at their appearance, receiving an immediate growl of hate from the cat, to which Paulie had quickly intervened before his men could chain him up.

"Let me take care of him while he's here," he said, although it was more of a command than a request. Corgy nodded to his men, but still handed Paulie the chain; it was Sea Stone, he immediately recognised the weight and texture, since it was stronger than other metals. The gnome of a man had looked at the cat unflinching as he said, "The beast's name is _Rob Lucci._ Be sure to show him who's boss." The men in full suit followed Corgy with bored expressions, making sure to avoid Lucci's threatening fangs. The crowd of people had sifted, and now everyone was returning to their regular activities. The Puffing Tom was sitting dormant as it was unloaded and loaded once more.

Now it was just him and "Rob Lucci".

* * *

Walking around a populated area with a leopard beside you wasn't seen as a good thing, especially as many people turned silent and moved as far away from Paulie as possible, being threatened by the leopard's glare. Of course the blonde had noticed it, but it wasn't like there was an easier way to bring him to his enclosure without hurting him.

The kairoseki chain had replaced his rope, and it clinked with every step he made; it was a dull sound, and one he wasn't used to. The fact that it was a strong metal was what made him cautious, especially as he looked over to Lucci. What kind of threat would make him be assigned such brute force? Even Paulie had never used it despite countless animals resisting his help.

Reminding himself of previous encounters had brought Paulie back to earlier, with Lucci's eyes boring into him. Some lions and leopards had been suspicious of him but were assured once they saw he had no weapons concealed to trick them, but he hadn't ever stripped himself of pants to any of them before. And the look Lucci had given him, a swirling mix of hunger and uneasiness, as if he would take the initiative and attack first, only made him blush just by remembering it. He was a grown man, after all, but he hadn't had many sexual encounters. In fact, it would be about a year or two since he last had sex with anyone, since nobody paid any interest in him. The leopard's glare looked certainly interested in him, however.

The familiar sound of voices cut through his thoughts, and he cursed under his breath as the bastard tax collectors had found him once again. "Shit, why now...!" He muttered, jumping into a Yagara's carriage. To his surprise, the leopard followed suit, seemingly undeterred by being so close to water, or by the colourful threats the men gave him. Paulie yanked the bull's chain, and the tax collectors disappeared from sight, much to his relief. He had almost forgotten about Lucci, before realising he had joined him onboard, and gave a quiet sigh of relief, petting the leopard lounging in his lap. "Sorry about that. Damn bastards..." He commented, relieved that the cat had followed him.

He knew trying to smuggle a leopard into his house was a foolhardy plan, and instructed the Yagara to head for Dock One. Where else could he put him other than where he was supposed to be? The question answered itself, and he knew a little extra power was always welcomed in that area, especially due to some of the customers who came by.

The whole place smelt of sawdust and sweat, even with the extra company of rather extravagant animals. He led Lucci through the crowds to his private enclosure, and the leopard seemed to immediately take a liking to it. The pitter patter of footsteps didn't disturb either of them, as Kaku, the young, cheerful shipwright, had joined Paulie with a childish smile that other late-twenties-adults could _not_ wear as well as he did.

"You missed one hell of a show earlier," Paulie commented, lighting himself a cigar. The long-nose declined his offer, watching Lucci pace about, as he replied, "I was looking at the giraffes, of course." The blonde's abrupt laughter had caught the younger off guard, and he looked shocked, with a hint of embarrassment laced in his voice, "W-Why! What's bad about giraffes?"

Paulie grinned in return, slapping a hand onto Kaku's back in a friendly gesture. "You just don't see many twenty-eight year olds saying they were _obviously_ looking at giraffes."

"Well, what's so bad about liking them?"

"There's nothing wrong with them," Paulie assured his friend.

Kaku looked away, crossing his arms. "... Giraffes are cool."

Paulie bellowed with laughter once more, "You did it again!"

"It's not my fault that I love giraffes..." Kaku retaliated, but gave up trying to convince Paulie otherwise. Instead, he changed the subject away from his obsession of giraffes. "So what's his name, anyway?"

Paulie was surprised at the sudden change of attitude, hoping to tease the poor boy some more, but answered dryly, "Rob Lucci, according to the garden gnome." The shipwright chuckled, pushing up the front of his cap. "Corgy, right? He came in earlier, he said he wanted your head on a plate if the leopard went missing. I'm guessing he meant this beauty."

The wrangler had fallen silent, watching as Lucci had curled up and was focused on taking a cat-nap, and the sight made Kaku smirk as he pushed himself off the railing. "Have fun, you two," he called out with a lazy wave, although he knew Paulie wouldn't have seen or heard him leave. Sounded like those two were lovebirds without a clue of the "lovebird" part.

* * *

Paulie had found himself around the leopard much more than he had expected, and over the period of a month, he ended up spending most of his day with Lucci by his side. The reason wasn't that he loved having the leopard by his side; well, not the whole reason, anyway. Corgy's unexpected visits always put them both into a cautious state, especially with how he stared darkly at the cat.

Hell, he'd end up with Lucci sleeping in his lap at night, since he worried so much about the leopard; it was out of character for him, but that mark on his body was what made him concerned. Corgy practically reeked of trouble, and he didn't want the leopard to be hurt anymore.

The blonde hadn't expected Lucci being capable of taking care of himself, especially against the bastard and his lackeys.

Paulie already knew something was wrong, as soon as he reached Lucci's enclosure, and not even the swears and yelling inside could tell him otherwise. The deep, unknown voice from inside would chill even the bravest souls, but it seemed like those inside were undeterred. "Fuck, where is the Sea Stone chain!?" Corgy barked, as the sound of ripped material could be heard.

"You gave it to that fucking idiot, remember? That piece of shit, the blonde!" One of his men yelled back, and it seemed like he wasn't going to be criticised for his language at a time like this. Corgy seemed to have a gun, as he fired off several rounds until it clicked, empty of ammunition. "Fucking hell!" He yelled, the gun probably thrown aside as it made a clattering noise.

Paulie heard the squeak of shoes, probably Corgy and his dogs climbing over the fence and praying that Lucci hadn't followed. The low growl told otherwise, and the blonde immediately stepped in to avoid a bloodbath. Once again, those dark jade eyes bore into Paulie, and he was surprised he hadn't blinked in confusion.

The leopard he had known was gone from sight; the animal's body was like a cross between human and beast, from the massive chest, the emphasis on his muscles, and the powerful aura radiating from him. The mark was still there, so there was no mistaking it; this was still Lucci. The mane of ebony black hair and the emblazoned insignia of the World Government burnt into his flesh were new features, but it was still clear this was one in the same, but now much stronger, and much deadlier.

Lucci had pinned him to the ground before Paulie could react, the predator's breath mixing with his own shallow pants. As when they had first met, Paulie first showed the chain, before sliding it away from his reach, as the leopard followed his moves, shifting, but still intruding upon his personal space. He took off his jacket and shirt, and Lucci's glare eventually made him shimmy off his pants and boots.

Paulie watched Lucci sit a paw on his chest, his eyes locked on the only material that kept his body from being completely exposed. "O-Oi..." Paulie murmured, his blush worsening as his claws hooked onto his boxers. The leopard growled, and brought his mouth around the clothed bulge. Before Paulie could stop him, Lucci's teeth had ripped away the fabric, and his wet tongue had caught him by surprise, Paulie jerking his hips forward towards the leopard. The teeth scraping his skin began to make him panic, and he barely managed to get his words out.

"S-Stop, what are you—" Lucci sent him a dark glare, and seemed to smirk, forcing his dick further into his throat. Paulie moaned pathetically, and the leopard had begun to suck, his teeth careful not to pierce his flesh as he drew back, and his tongue began playing with the trickling slit. His blush worsened as he thrust his hips further, both back and neck arching as much as they could to make the leopard swallow, until he came hard in Lucci's throat. "Aah, haah...!" He shivered in pleasure, his moans choked by his saliva.

His voice was silenced with the leopard's tail thrust into his mouth, and he was forced to suck hungrily, as Lucci's face neared Paulie's. _"There's no need to hold back,"_ the creature purred into his ear, the fur tickling his bare skin. _"Having lust is no sin; injustice is the only sin."_ The leopard's black facial hair brushed against the blonde's chin, and his lips were close to his, dark eyes locked onto him. It was clear he wanted this as well.

 _"Don't hold back on me,"_ was all Lucci said before his lips met Paulie's, his hot body pressed against the man's chest to hold him in place, and he didn't resist the tongue intruding his mouth. Tears pricked at the edge of his eyes, as Lucci's tail had rested in his ass, before beginning to make a slow, but powerful thrust inside of him. Paulie accidentally bit the leopard's tongue in the midst of the kiss, and it seemed to ignite something inside the leopard, who pulled away licking his lips. _"It's been so long since I've bled, I almost forgot what it was like to feel pain,"_ he mused, licking Paulie's chapped lips as he ordered, _"clean the mess you made."_

Paulie's cheeks burned red, and he cautiously licked the bite marks left on the leopard's tongue, gagging on his saliva as the tail continued to burrow inside him. _"Good boy,"_ Lucci teased, removing his tail to the blonde's embarrassment. _"You deserve a reward."_ Claws raking in Paulie's hair and his mouth all over his body, Lucci travelled down his body, leaving kisses and bite marks on Paulie's neck that would certainly bruise later, and stared greedily at the perk caramel nibs on either side of his chest. The blonde made no effort to stop him, opting to watch with glassy eyes as the leopard licked around his left nipple in a slow, tantalising manner, but never touched it, whilst his right paw copied his tongue's treatment to the other.

"L-Lucci..." He whimpered, receiving a low growl. Lucci was a predator, and he loathed those who wouldn't submit. His other paw had latched itself onto Paulie's cock, a claw digging into the dripping slit, bringing a yelp of pain from Paulie. _"I want everyone to know what you want,"_ he ordered, his dark voice enough to chill even the depths of Hell. _"I want everyone to know what you're receiving, who you belong to, who you are begging to..."_ Lucci's voice trailed off, his face slipping in front of Paulie's sight to fill his entire view with himself alone. The man underneath him was a shivering mess, torn between the intimidation of the leopard before him, the aching pain of his dick, and the uncomfortably slow movements of Lucci's tail. His eyes were turning a milky colour from the pleasure, his cheeks a deep red and his whole face streaked with tears that had been lapped up by the leopard.

"Please, Lucci..." He managed to say, having to give up his pride as a man for pleasure. Paulie felt pathetic for both submitting, and his desperation. Lucci's touch, his voice, his tongue, his body, his movements, his words, they all set alight something Paulie hadn't felt in years, if ever; this thirst for lust, this complete submission, this whole feeling. It was intoxicating, but he loved every sensation of it, as if his addiction to gambling was like a hobby, and this was his real weakness, the urge to _feel_ only Lucci, _see_ only Lucci, _hear_ only Lucci, and _taste only Lucci_.

The blonde swallowed, trying to find his voice. His throat was dry, his head was pounding, his dick was throbbing faster than his heart, his lungs felt weak, and his whole body felt hot. Even still, he managed to lean to the leopard's ear, and muttered in a pathetic, desperate tone:

"... I want _all of you,_ Lucci. Please... Fuck me..."

It was almost impossible to mask his surprise, but somehow, Lucci managed. His eyes would of widened if he hadn't mustered enough skill to hold a straight face, and instead, let a crude smirk crawl onto his lips. The tail was removed, and before Paulie could make any coherent words in protest, his own thick length had thrust deep into the blonde, a low growl and a guttural moan filling the air in sync. The air in the man's lungs had left him rapidly, as if someone had delivered a blow to his chest, yet it was quite pleasurable, as Lucci thrust hard inside him. Paulie had relaxed the moment Lucci decided to trust him, and entry past the sphincters was easier than expected, especially when the leopard hit his prostate in a strong, miscalculated thrust that had Paulie jerking towards him, and taking the beast by slight surprise, but also satisfaction. _"Such tightness like a virgin… I feel pleasured knowing that I will be your first after such a long period of time."_

As the leopard prepared to thrust inside Paulie once more, the man, who had since become chest-to-chest with him, cautiously wrapped his arms around the creature's back, and had unexpectedly drawn him into a kiss that Lucci was unprepared for, and unable to return the intimate action. Paulie hadn't pulled away, now wrapping his legs around his waist to force their bodies closer together, and upon realisation, Lucci smirked a little. He was placing so much faith in him already, it seemed, although the blonde was unaware of his true nature. But, it wasn't like he could reject the falsely placed trust — especially since Paulie was the fool who decided to — and Lucci's tongue entangled itself with Paulie's, as he thrust slow into the blonde, yet his tail had wrapped around Paulie's own length and intended to "jerk" him off.

A choked moan spilt between Paulie's lips as Lucci's tail had begun to milk him of his cum, and Lucci soon followed with a low growl against the other's lips as he shot his load into his ass. The blonde had clearly become fatigued during their session, as he fell asleep almost immediately, loosely hanging onto Lucci's body as if he had lost all of his energy. The leopard stared at him calmly, easily slipping out of his grasp without waking him, and strode away, to pull a red blanket said man had brought him previously, over the blonde in a swift motion.

The white pigeon perched by the fence of his enclosure watched silently as the shadow of the beast morphed into a more human-like body, and gently kissed the man's forehead, and strolled out, turning off the light behind him. The pigeon had fluttered over to him with some difficulty, a fine black top hat in its small talons, which the stranger collected, sitting it on his head before the bird perched itself on his shoulder, as he left in the dead of the night.

* * *

Paulie woke up with his memories rolling around like a roulette ball that never landed on the magic number, trying to orientate the basics. Who; who was there aside from him? The coo of a pigeon answered that question. Where; did he know where he was? Upon quick inspection, he realised he had slept in Lucci's enclosure, which lacked said leopard in question. What; what was the current situation? Well, there was a predator missing, and only a thick red blanket that smelt like him to cover his currently nude body, as his clothes were tossed aside. Why; why did this occur? He remembered the night before, and groaned as that reminder, the ache of his back from bending at such unprecedented angles, decided to kick in.

He dragged himself over to his clothes, covering the lower half of his body with the blanket as the pigeon cooed, and flew about. The man swatted the bird with a scowl; he hated pigeons, they were rats with wings, essentially. Paulie pulled on his clothes, shooing the bird off as he left the enclosure. The best thing to do for the time being was to report the missing animal to Iceberg; he could worry about a hot shower and clean clothes later.

The blonde lit himself a cigar, jumping onboard a Yagara bull, and instructed the creature to head for the city hall. It obeyed happily, and arrived at a record pace (they seemed quite excited when someone wanted a fast ride, he found out), Paulie striding through the doors and to Kalifa's desk, the secretary of the mayor, who, as always, never seemed to realise such short skirts were scandalous. That matter passed his mind for the time being, as he slammed a fist onto her desk. "I need to see Iceberg ur—"

"He's been waiting for you," she replied casually, as if he should of been aware of this. The woman got up from her chair and walked to the matching doors, just as a lone figure leaning against the wall caught his eye face hidden by the brim of his black hat. Kalifa knocked, and opened the doors for him, Paulie being greeted by the laid-back mayor with a smile. "Good morning, Paulie," he said in his usual, calm and collected manner. He didn't seem to mind Paulie's state of dress (currently worse than usual), nor did he raise an eyebrow at his nervous posture. "Lucci's gone missing," the blonde blurted out, but by the lack of reaction, Iceberg had appeared to have been expecting this. "Earlier, Corgy came in, and said that his men had taken him back onboard the Sea Train," he explained as he begun to pick his nose (like _any_ grown man would), "something about _"endangering the peace of the public"_ , and that the Government had decided that keeping him here would be much too dangerous."

The wrangler bit hard into his cigar; he promised himself that Corgy wouldn't harm the leopard whilst in his care, and now it seemed that he had taken him away, most likely with brute force. "But it's not all bad news," Iceberg reassured his friend, as the doors opened up and the man in the black hat — added with a white singlet and thin black pants that hid his muscles if not given away by the arms like logs — strolled in, with Kalifa closing the doors behind him. Iceberg got up from his chair and stood up, walking over to the stranger, who, he realised, had a white pigeon on his shoulder. "Corgy left us with another pair of hands, and I figured you could show him around Dock 1, if you would."

He lifted his hat up, meeting Paulie with a bored look, a pair of onyx orbs with a familiar arrangement of facial hair staring back at him. The pigeon seemed to clear its throat, and pointed to itself. "Coo-coo! I'm R— Hattori, and the man," it corrected itself quite quickly, "is Rob Lucci. It is a pleasure to meet you, coo." Paulie was taken aback, but for a different reason than Iceberg. "Ventriloquism, it's really impressive!" He complimented, and the bird seemed rather flustered, whilst his master kept up the uninterested expression. Hattori seemed to pick up on the confusion, and cooed, "The leopard was named after Lucci, coo-coo. He's had experience with leopards before." It was clear the man didn't buy it, but the explanation seemed to satisfy the mayor, and he sent them off with a friendly wave.

Now, two men and a pigeon had each other for company, travelling in a Yagara bull. "I'm sorry about the misunderstanding, coo-coo," the bird apologised, making Paulie scowl. "Why can't he speak for himself?"

"He prefers not to, coo-coo, not a very social person."

"If he was sorry, then he should say it himself," the blonde growled.

Hattori blinked, and ruffled his wings as if accepting a challenge. "Go ahead and ask him for one yourself, coo."

An irk mark appeared upon Paulie's forehead, and he immediately attempted to beat an apology out of him, which resulted in a loss that had him thrown in the water. The Yagara bull turned back and pulled up beside him, Hattori cooing in some sort of victory. The sore loser splashed him, as Lucci outstretched an arm for him to grab hold of. Paulie ignored it; even with his manly pride taken by a leopard, there was no way he'd let that happen again with some guy who shared the same name. Paulie awkwardly pulled himself back onboard, almost tipping them over and receiving noises of distress from the bull that were ignored, until Lucci pulled him uo regardless. "Coo-coo, aside from your ego bruised, are you okay?"

Paulie didn't answer him, instead staring at the familiar tattoo on his shoulder; the mark used when leopards and tigers were kept by the Government illegally, the leopard's voice echoing through his head. _"Having lust is no sin; injustice is the only sin."_ Was there any other explanation? But if there wasn't, how did he pass as a leopard even to Corgy, and why had he lied about taking him away from Water 7? As they arrived at Dock 1 with Kaku, Tilestone and Lulu to greet them, Paulie was trying to figure out how it was possible that— "He lost and was thrown into the water, coo-coo."

"Looks like you've got a rival, Paulie," Kaku chuckled with a beaming smile.

"CAN'T BELIEVE YOU LOST TO THE NEW GUY," Tilestone bellowed with laughter.

"He could place all his money on Lucci winning every fight and Paulie wouldn't be in any more debt," Lulu commented, pushing down the spike of hair on the right side of his head that reappeared on the opposite side somehow.

All thoughts were thrown out the window as Paulie's ropes wrapped around Lucci's ankles, yet the man had been flipped, and pulled the rope towards him, lowering Paulie's self-esteem, and setting the score to Lucci: 2, Paulie: 0.


End file.
